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Yemen Crisis due to Iran’s Attempt to Revive thePersian Empire, with Babylon as its Capital

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.”- Luke 21:28

By Mike Wingfield

The potential for a major war between the two largestfactions of Islam, the Sunnis and Shiites (Shias), is nowcentered upon a struggle for Yemen, Saudi Arabia’ssouthern neighbor. At the epicenter of this threat of warwithin the Islamic world is the growing influence of Iranand its Shiite axis of power in the region. We may not beable to understand all of the details of this development inthe light of the overall prophetic picture of the last days.However, the Scriptures declare that Iran will play a majorrole in the end-time events, forming an alliance withRussia and other Shiite friends in the Middle East.(Ezekiel 38-39) Make no mistake; the evil apocalypticIslamic regime that is ruling over the Iranian people has itssights set on the annihilation of Israel. Its ultimate goal isthe establishment of an Islamic empire that will rule overthe world, with Babylon as its capital.

Before I direct our attention to Iran, I want to brieflyaddress a related consideration that I believe is of great

significance. Many of us who study Biblical prophecyagree that the end-time political and religious powerdescribed in Revelation 17-18 is Islam. We also agreethat the Antichrist will be a Muslim who will rule theIslamic world from Babylon, Iraq for 7 years. However,beyond that we are still looking at the current events in thelight of the Scriptures, and wondering how all of this isgoing to play out. Obviously, we will not be here for the7-year Tribulation Period, but it is our duty and privilegeto study the prophetic Word of God and warn this presentgeneration of the approaching divine judgment. Thewrath of God and Satan is about to be unleashed upon thisterminal generation. In comparison, our Lord gave anominous warning of impending judgment to Israel in OldTestament days through His prophets. While the office ofa prophet is not available today, I do believe the HolySpirit desires to speak through His church and sound awarning to this present generation “to flee from the wrathto come.” (Matthew 3:7) Evangelical believers who

PTNewsMay 2015

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2 | P a g e PTNews May 2015literally interpret the prophetic Scriptures are the onlypeople on earth who have any wisdom concerning thefuture. This is simply because we have been enlightenedby the prophetic Word of God. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)We do not have all of the details, but we have been givena divine revelation that tells us how it is all going to end.

We must remember that no one knows when the Rapturewill take place. Jesus said: “But of that day and hourknoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but myFather only.” (Matthew 24:36) Even Satan does notknow when the Rapture will occur. So, we must concludethat for almost 2,000 years, Satan has been guessing andpreparing his forces for the final showdown in theTribulation Period between himself and Jesus.

Satan knows the Bible. He used it and twisted it to temptJesus during His incarnation. (Matthew 4:6) Satan, for hisown purposes, has become very knowledgeable about theprophetic Word of God. He must know what the Lordwill do in the future so he can prepare his diabolical planin a desperate and foolish attempt to defeat Jesus when Hereturns. This means that Satan needs to have severalpossible antichrist figures ready at any moment for theTribulation Period. Near the end of the first century, theApostle John alluded to this when he wrote: “Littlechildren, it is the last time, and as you have heard thatantichrist shall come, even now are there manyantichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1John 2:18)

We are living in such an hour. When a person looksacross the political landscape of the Islamic world in theMiddle East, there are several men Satan may begrooming to be potential antichrists. Chaos is escalatingin the Arab Islamic world and it appears that many leadersare aspiring to become the Muslim caliph. This caliph, orglobal dictator, will have total control of the Muslimworld. This is really nothing new, but while looking at theglobal context and the rise of Islam, these developmentsseem to be uniquely timed to usher in the TribulationPeriod.

Various factions of the Sunni and Shiite Islamic groupsare locked in a battle for the honor of creating the politicaland military platform from which their messiah will rulethe world. While these Muslim factions have theirdifferences, they all agree that we are living in the end of

days. They further believe that their messiah, the“Mahdi,” is soon to appear. That belief is driving theirapocalyptic agenda and methods.

Potential antichrist figures can be found within thedangerous apocalyptic Iranian Shiite regime. Thisgenocidal religious leadership believes they can hasten thepublic appearance of their Mahdi, the Islamic messiah, bywreaking havoc and destruction around the world. It istheir view, that after the annihilation of Israel and thisglobal destruction, the Mahdi will be able to proclaim theIslamic New World Order, called the Caliphate.

If one listens to the fiery speeches and rhetoric comingfrom the power circles in Iran, they reveal a dangerousreligious and political ideology. In a recent article for theWashington Post, Michael Morell (acting and deputydirector of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010 to2013) alluded to a speech given recently at a conference inTehran on “Iran, Nationalism, History, and Culture.” Thisspeech was given by Ali Younesi, who served as the headof intelligence for former Iranian president MohammadKhatami. Morell reports that this influential Iranian leadertold the conference attendees, “‘Since its inception, Iranhas [always] had a global [dimension]. It was born anempire. Iran’s leaders, officials and administrators havealways thought in the global’ dimension. Younesi definedthe territory of the Iranian empire, which he called‘Greater Iran,’ as reaching from the borders of China andincluding the Indian subcontinent, the north and southCaucasus and the Persian Gulf. He said Iraq is the capitalof the Iranian Empire — a reference to the ancient city ofBabylon, in present-day Iraq, which was the center ofPersian life for centuries.” (www.washingtonpost.com,April 3, 2015)

The fact that a current Iranian leader would make thesestatements about Iran’s global ambitions and itsconnection to ruling the world from Babylon, Iraq (seeIsaiah 14:4) is an example of the revived Islamic empireof the Antichrist called “Babylon” in the book ofRevelation. (Revelation 14:8; 17-18) Iran appears to haveadvanced its influence in the region more than any otherIslamic state. The Iranian leadership has expanded itsShia crescent power base across the Middle East. Inneighboring Iraq, Iran has a dominating influence over theShiite centers in the south. As a result, Iran is a menace tothe newly-created Iraqi government. In Syria, they have a

3 | P a g e PTNews May 2015power base supported by Syrian President Bashar Assadand the Alawites (a Shia religious group). In Lebanon,they have a very important political and military footholdon the northern border of Israel through their proxy,Hezbollah (a Shia military terrorist group funded andtrained by Iran). In Gaza, they have almost total controlof Hamas, a radical Islamic terrorist entity. And, in recentmonths, the Iranians have released another terrorist groupin Yemen, the Houthi rebels. These rebels have capturedAden, the capital of Yemen, and its international airport.

In light of all of this, the potential of Iran manufacturingits own nuclear weapons has become a major concern forthe Sunni Muslims in the region. While Iran movesahead with the development of a nuclear arsenal, the West(and especially the U.S. administration) is viewed asplaying a deadly game of chicken with Iran. It is apparentto Israel and the Sunni Arabs that the U.S. administrationhas already accepted the fact that Iran will be a nuclearnation and become the dominant player in the region.This major ongoing shift in American policy in the MiddleEast is fueling chaos and revolutions, called the ArabSpring. As a result, radical elements are gaining morepower and moving the world closer to an apocalypticMiddle East. Many former Arab-Islamic allies of the U.S.are joining Israel’s warnings that the failed foreign

policies of the Obama administration in the Middle East,particularly with Iran, are making it a very dangerousplace to live. In his speech to Congress March 3, PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu so eloquently stated thisconcern: “Iran's neighbors know that Iran will becomeeven more aggressive and sponsor even more terrorismwhen its economy is unshackled and it's been given a clearpath to the bomb. And many of these neighbors say they'llrespond by racing to get nuclear weapons of their own. Sothis deal won't change Iran for the better; it will onlychange the Middle East for the worse. A deal that'ssupposed to prevent nuclear proliferation would insteadspark a nuclear arms race in the most dangerous part ofthe planet. This deal won't be a farewell to arms. It wouldbe a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East wouldsoon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires. A region wheresmall skirmishes can trigger big wars would turn into anuclear tinderbox.” (www.time.com/3730318/transcript-netanyahu -speech-to-congress/)

Sunni Arabs know that Iran is attempting to force theSunni world into submission, annihilate Israel, andespecially take control of Saudi Arabia, the religiouscenter of Islam. The Saudis view the Iranian attempt toturn Yemen into another Iranian proxy state as a majorstep in the accomplishment of this Shia agenda. Inresponse to the shift in American policy, and the Iranianthreat in Yemen, the Saudis have formed at 10-nationSunni coalition to join them in their military strikesagainst the Houthis’ forces in Yemen. The militarystrikes against these Iranian interests in Yemen havebrought about sharp threatening communications betweenSaudi Arabia and Iran, which could lead to war in theregion. One needs to remember that Iran and Iraq were atwar from 1980 to 1988. Wars pitting Muslims againstMuslims are raging throughout the Middle East at thisvery hour. But, a conflagration between Iran and SaudiArabia would be very costly, and bring a titanic shift tothe balance of power in the Middle East.

While all of this is taking place, Russia recently agreed tosell and deliver S-300 surface-to-air defense missilesystems to Iran. This system would make a future militarystrike by Israel or the U.S. against Iran very difficult, butnot impossible. The U.S. has positioned several of itsaircraft carriers in the region to prevent Iran fromsupplying the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. Israelhas answered the Russian move in Iran by sell military

4 | P a g e PTNews May 2015arms to Ukrainian forces that are fighting against Russian-backed forces. Israel’s move brought sharp criticism fromRussian President Vladimir Putin.

To add to the ever-changing developments in the MiddleEast, Turkey’s president, Tayyip Erdogan, recently visitedIran. While Turkey and Iran have some major differencesabout the wars in Syria and Yemen, the leadership of Iranagreed with Erdogan that their respective countries need tocooperate with each other in the region.

It is obvious that Russia, Turkey, and Iran all havedifferent ambitions for building their own empires. Whilethey each have their own global agenda, they are willingto cooperate in order to capitalize on the United States’declining influence in the region. Their common goal isthe destruction of Israel.

These developments, in light of Ezekiel 38-39, areamazing! It is very apparent that a coalition of Shianations and cooperating friends in Libya, Ethiopia, andSudan are joining with Russia for dominance in theMiddle East. It is only a matter of time until these nationsmake their move against Israel. When that happens, it isinteresting to note that the onlookers of this invasion are“Sheba” (southern Saudi Arabia) and “Dedan” (northernSaudi Arabia), along with “the merchants of Tarshish,with all the young lions” (some view this as a reference toGreat Britain and her former colonies, which wouldinclude the United States). (Ezekiel 38:13)

These developments in the Middle East continue toindicate our world is being changed so that the Biblicalend-times events can unfold on any given day. I remindyou once again to be ready for the shout that will take usout!

Deployment of Tunnel Detection SystemIsrael Breaking News has just released a report about anadvanced tunnel detection system that’s being deployedalong the Israel-Gaza border. Last summer, Israeldiscovered that Hamas was digging tunnels from Gazainto Israel in an attempt to ambush and kidnap Israelis.Many of the tunnels were destroyed. However, since thewar ended, Israeli intelligence has reported that the workon these terrorist tunnels has aggressively resumed.

In response to this threat, an Israeli firm has justcompleted its research on a very effective tunnel detectionsystem that is now being deployed along the border withGaza. This system will allow the Israeli military toidentify these tunnels and destroy them before they areused by terrorists against Israel. This system is alreadybringing a sense of relief among Israelis living in southernIsrael. Long ago, the ancient prophet of Israel, Isaiah,spoke on behalf of the Lord to his people: “No weaponthat is formed against thee shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)

Israel Turns 67The miraculous modern nation of Israel is now 67 yearsold. Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948. However,using the Jewish calendar, a lunar rather than solar-basedcalendar, Israel celebrated its 67th birthday on April 22.Israel now has a population of 8.3 million people. “The6.25 million Jewish residents of Israel represent 74.9percent of the population, while the 1.73 million Arabsmake up 20.7% of the current population. Residentswithout any official religious affiliation and members ofother religions (including non-Arab Christians) make up4.4% of the population.” (www.timesofisrael.com, April21, 2015) The amazing growth, prosperity, security, anddivine protection of Israel is the greatest evidence of thefulfillment of Biblical prophecy in the last 100 years. TheLord has proclaimed: “For I am the LORD, I change not;therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi3:6)

Christians and the Climate of HatredAs we listen to the news reports from around the world, itis obvious there is a growing climate of hatred forChristians. Christians are being persecuted, attacked, andkilled around the world.

Recent surveys of American university professors indicatethey have a profound hatred for conservative, evangelicalChristians. I remind you that history demonstrates hatredfor Christians is a precursor to their open persecution andmartyrdom. Jesus connected hatred for His followers withtheir persecution and martyrdom. (John 15:18-16:2) Thismessage was echoed by His apostles. (1 John 3:15) Our response should be the promotion of peace, love, andforgiveness. Read what Jesus has told us to do inMatthew 5:9-12. In the midst of their own suffering, the

5 | P a g e PTNews May 2015apostles admonished the early church to also rejoice. (1Peter 4:12-19)

May our Lord give us wisdom, grace, and strength forwhat lies ahead. The greatest era of deadly Christianpersecution is rising all around the world. What is takingplace in the Middle East is a picture of what will unfoldaround the world during the Tribulation Period.

Increasing Global Volcanic EruptionsJesus said that the last days would be marked by greatgeological upheaval. (Luke 21:11) According to manyprophetic Scriptures, during the final seven years beforethe Lord returns to establish His kingdom upon earth, theearth will experience the most radial geologicaldevastation in the history of man. (Revelation 16:18)Massive global earthquakes will rearrange the topographyof earth. (Isaiah 24; Revelation 6:14; 16:20) These globalearthquakes will trigger global volcanic eruptions(Revelation 6:12; 8:8-9), and tsunamis. (Luke 21:25;Revelation 8:9)

In light of all of this, the following report by MichaelSnyder, a believer who researches how our world ismoving toward the end as defined in the Bible, is verysignificant. “Is the number of volcanic eruptionsworldwide increasing? Yes. During the 20th century,there were a total of 3,542 volcanic eruptions globally.That works out to approximately 35 eruptions per year.That may sound like a lot, but according to VolcanoDiscovery there are 36 volcanoes erupting around theworld right now. In other words, the number of volcanoeserupting as you read this article is greater than the 20thcentury’s yearly average. And all of this is part of a largertrend. In 2013, we witnessed the most volcanic eruptionsworldwide that we had ever seen in a single year, and2015 is already threatening to be another one for therecord books. All over the planet, volcanoes that havelong been dormant are beginning to wake up, and this isgreatly puzzling many scientists.”(www.endoftheamericandream.com, April 16, 2015)

It is apparent these trends are indicating that earth ismoving toward its geological climax of upheaval. It is yetanother powerful sign that the One who controls all of Hiscreation is preparing the earth for His time of judgment.Jesus is the One who “appointed the foundations of theearth.” (Proverbs 8:29) He “laid the foundation of the

earth…. all of them shall wax old like a garment; as avesture shalt thou change them, and they shall bechanged.” (Psalm 102:25-26) When the end comes, Hewill “shake terribly the earth.” (Isaiah 2:19) The Lord“[looks] on the earth and it [trembles]; He [touches] thehills, and they smoke.” (Psalm 104:31)

The stated purpose for all of the approaching globalupheaval is given in Isaiah 2:11: “The lofty looks of manshall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men boweddown, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”This is the aim of all of God’s works, both in the past andin the future.

War and Rumors of Wars for IsraelWhen Jesus responded to His disciples’ question about thesigns that would mark His coming at the end of this age,one of the signs He pointed to are the dangerous securitythreats the newly reborn nation of Israel will face. He saidto His Jewish disciples: “And ye shall hear of wars andrumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all thesethings must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”(Matthew 24:6)

Today, Israel faces some of the greatest security threats inits modern history. Israel must be ready for war at anymoment on multiple fronts. At present, Israel is dealingwith six ongoing crisis that jeopardize its very existence.

1. Israel must guard its southern border with Egypt alongthe Sinai. Since the beginning of 2010, the Sinai has beenoccupied by several radical Islamic terrorist groups. Israelrecently completed a security fence along the entire Sinaiborder that is monitored 24 hours a day by highly trainedIsraeli personnel. However, Israel realizes that the calm itnow enjoys along this border could end at any moment.

2. The Gaza Strip continues to be a source of greatconcern for Israel’s security. Hamas continues to rebuildfor its next war with Israel. This is of great concern toIsraeli leaders because these terrorist activities are beingfunded by Iran.

3. The “West Bank” (Biblical Judea and Samaria)continues to be a security threat that could erupt at anymoment. Iran is trying to help Hamas gain a foothold inthe area, while attempting to supply Palestinian terroristswith weapons to fight against Israel.

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4. The Syrian border with Israel along the Golan Heightscontinues to be another real security concern for Israel.The bloody war between the radical elements that arefighting against the Assad forces have come very close toSyria’s border with Israel. On a couple of occasions,missiles have landed on the Israeli side. All of this is ofgreat concern to Israel because Assad and his military arebeing funded by Iran.

5. Perhaps one of the most immediate threats to Israel’ssecurity is along its border with Lebanon. This area isoccupied by another radical terrorist entity that iscontrolled by Iran, Hezbollah. Israeli intelligence reportsthat Hezbollah, with the help of Iran, now has over 30,000trained military personnel and approximately 170,000missiles. Some of these missiles have the capability ofstriking targets anywhere in Israel.

6. However, the most dangerous of all military threatsagainst Israel is in the radical Shiite leadership in Iran.This fanatical Islamic group has ambitions of becomingthe Islamic superpower in the Middle East. And foremost,Iran desires to reestablish the ancient Persian Empire.They know that the successful annihilation of Israel wouldgarner great support for their ambition to exert a greaterleadership role in the region.

Nonetheless, the Bible tells us that all of these evilambitions will never lead to the destruction of Israel, ordrive the Jewish people from their ancient home. (Amos9:15) The stage is set for the God of Israel to demonstrateto the world that He alone is God. Through a series ofprophetic events documented in the Bible, the Lord willrepeatedly and supernaturally defend His people and Hisland. He has declared: “I will seek to destroy all of thenations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:9)

Remember the HolocaustWhen I take people with me to Israel, the very last placewe visit is Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust inJerusalem. This museum is an overwhelming reminder ofwhat hate and deception can accomplish. This museum isfilled with artifacts and historical data from the era of theHolocaust. The hallways of the main building are filledwith personal items of the Jewish victims, along withvideo testimonies of some of the survivors. I and manywith me have shed many tears as we walk through this

touching reminder of one of the most tragic events of the20th century. I want all who travel with me to experience the heartwrenching reality of what the Jewish people have endured.It is a clear reminder why there must be a modern nationof Israel that can defend its own people in a time of moralcollapse in our world.

Each year, Israel has a Holocaust memorial day. ThisApril 16th the sirens sounded out all over Israel andeveryone stopped what they were doing and stood incomplete silence in honor of the 6 million Jews who werekilled in the Holocaust. At this year’s memorial, PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a very thoughtprovoking speech. Here is some of his comments:“Seventy years ago we were a people of war refugees,powerless and voiceless. Today we express what we haveto say, and we are determined to guarantee our existenceand our future. It is our duty to fight those who wish todestroy us, not to bow down to them nor to downplayreality. We will not allow the State of Israel to be apassing episode in the history of our nation. … Today, wehave our own country – a flourishing and modern country.A country that imbibes the heritage of our fathers andstands at the forefront of global knowledge. A country thatdisseminates a great light. A country that has taken chargeof its destiny. Seventy years after the valleys of death, werevere the living, the vibrant, the creative, the flourishing.

Israel breaks ground on every front of modernization – inscience, medicine, technology, agriculture, education andculture. And we do this not only for our people. We dothis for the benefit of all humanity. This is what ourexistence is based upon – on our commitment to the safetyand future of Israel, on the deference to our heritage, andon the unity of a nation in which beats a vast life force.The nation of Israel, that has arisen from the hellfire, isready for any challenge.

‘Shake thyself from the dust; put on thy beautifulgarments, my people.’ [Isaiah 52:1-2] The nation of eternityhas shaken itself from the dust, returned home, stood tall,and established an outstanding country and an outstandingarmy, the Israel Defense Force, in which our brave andcourageous sons and daughters serve.”(www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Speeches/Pages/speechyadvashem150415.aspx)

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Come and explore the Land of the BibleJoin Mike Wingfield for his 9-day tour to the Holy Land

November 2-10, 2015$3,999.00 from NY

(Includes roundtrip airfare from NY to Israel, hotels in Israel, 2 full meals daily, professional Israeli guide, tour bus, all entrance fees for places listed in the itinerary, taxes, tips, and transfer fees.)

This exciting tour is jam-packed with wonderful adventures. Visit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Visit the remains of many of the placesconnected to the life and ministry of Jesus. We will travel through the Valley of Armageddon, and explore the village of Nazareth,rebuilt as it was in Jesus’ day. Our first day in Galilee will include a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and a baptismal service in theJordan River. You will also have opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, and take a cable-car ride to the top of Masada for ourbreathtaking view of the former location of Sodom and Gomorrah. We will spend four unforgettable days in Jerusalem, exploring theMount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Calvary, the Garden Tomb, the Old City and Temple Mount, and so much more.

A color brochure with our itinerary is available upon request. A registration and deposit can guarantee yourplace on this exciting tour this November. Call me today at 1-540-798-5110.

It is estimated that about 4 mil-lion people will visit Israel thisyear. You could be one ofthem!

Mike’s Upcoming Speaking SchedulePlease pray for these meetings and encourage your family and friends who live near these meetings to attend.

It is very important for God’s people to have a proper Biblical world-view. Check out www.ptnews.org for more information.

May 21 Roanoke, VA Monthly Bible Study at Grace Baptist Church 540-798-5110May 23-24 Fort Valley, VA Dry Run Christian Church 540-933-6277 May 24-26 Front Royal, VA, Front Royal Baptist Temple 540-551-0580May 30-31 Sterling, OH Grace Brethren Church 330-419-8974June 4 Rocky Mount, VA Monthly Bible Study at Franklin Heights Baptist Church 540-798-5110June 14 Riner, VA Fellowship Baptist Church 540-392-3032June 18 Roanoke, VA Monthly Bible Study at Grace Baptist Church 540-798-5110June 20 Salem, VA Faith Baptist Church 540-353-6357